Food pairing
Beer with fried egg
A fried egg with a liquid yolk, where the yolk coats everything it touches and the sulphur underneath is what a beer has to survive.
Egg yolk is an emulsifier, which is exactly the property that makes it difficult: it coats the palate more thoroughly than a fat of similar richness would, and it stays there. That is why a runny yolk changes a plate more than its volume suggests.
Underneath is sulphur, which is the part that goes wrong. A beer with its own sulphur character — many lagers have one, especially young ones — meets it and the combination reads unpleasantly of struck match. Carbonation is the useful tool here and hop bitterness is not.
Fried egg rules a lot of beer out, but several beers do the job it needs equally well. Pick between them on preference — the reasons matter more than the order. The attribute doing most of the work is fat.
What to drink
Gueuze — outstanding
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
American wild ale — strong
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
Lichtenhainer — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Australian sparkling ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Grodziskie — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Saison — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Cold IPA — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
India pale lager — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Helles Bock — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- American barley wine — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- British strong ale — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.